So, the organization had our first ever big fundraising gala in May. And the board of directors met the following day. Word on the street is that the board was so excited about the success of the event, that they decided to throw all our offices a party of some sort. Exact sort of party TBD.

We turned adventure up a notch and went backpacking recently with our friends Star and Comet.

We had a reserved campsite at Glen Camp in Point Reyes National Seashore, a very reasonable 4.5 mile hike from the Visitor Center. It was a low-key, one night backpacking trip, which was just what we wanted!

We didn’t get on the trail until early afternoon, so it was a rather warm hike up to Glen Camp. And yes, it was up. Some day we’ll find a backpacking trail that’s flat and doesn’t require hauling up a hill … or mountain … and it will be pretty awesome. This hike, however, was not it.

We were back on Mt. Tam again this weekend, this time for an actual hike with good friends S&J.

We started out at the Rock Spring parking lot and set out downhill via the Cataract Trail. It was a warm day, and we were thankful that we’d filled our trusty Camelbaks almost to their three liter capacities. The sun was out in force and the parking lot was crowded with hikers, but we soon plunged into tree cover, shade, and relative solitude.

The Cataract Trail is known for its 12 waterfalls, but water level in the creek was looking pretty low, especially for this time of year, so instead of rushing waterfalls, we mostly saw dry rocks with a trickle of water running down them.

Instead, we entertained ourselves with some deep philosophical (or maybe sociological) discussions of race, perceptions of color, and why Mitt Romney would spend any time campaigning in the Bay Area.

After the descent through cool forest, we emerged onto the stunning golden hillside and gem-bright blue sky of Bare Knoll.